Original subtitles

CAPPE: On this episode of "Carnival Eats,"

German flavors have me singing in Wisconsin...

[ Yodeling ]

...and a Southern Tex-Mex fiesta gets me fired up!

Now the heat's starting to hit me. Wow!

♪♪

I'm Noah Cappe, and this is "Carnival Eats."

Bundle up because we're getting ready for a day of fun

and food at the Christkindlmarket, Milwaukee.

This annual event is modeled on the famous

Christmas market that began in Nuremberg, Germany, in 1545.

Now with three locations in the Midwest

and hundreds of years of tradition behind it,

you know the food is going to be wunderbar.

Martin is a professional yodeler...

[ Yodeling ]

...but it's his brats that are stealing the show.

Made with a secret Austrian recipe

passed down for generations,

you'll move mountains to get your hands on...

the Austrian Alpine Daug.

It looks awesome.

I can even feel the heat emanating off of it.

We need that today.

I had run on a steady diet of candy canes and cookies.

- You're just switching it up. - Yeah.

We are legit authentic as it gets.

That's correct.

I grew up in Austria, a little town called Graz.

It's also known as the sausage capital.

And you moved to America

and have now launched a sausage empire.

It's a mission, a duty that I have.

And thank goodness.

We're gonna dive right into the headliner.

We're starting with the big stuff.

We have the Alpine cheese dog right here.

Give me the breakdown. What are we looking at?

We have pork loin, spices.

Now, "spices" is very general. You can't tell me?

This secret recipe is locked up in a vault

in a basement somewhere. It's all fresh.

We grind it up, we add an Emmental kind of cheese

that's from up here, from Wisconsin.

After it's stuffed, it goes into the smokehouse.

A little hickory in there. And then it gets steam-cooked.

After it's completely relaxed and showered,

we'll put it to sleep overnight in the chilling room.

- Showered? - Showered.

I mean, this thing is getting treated

like a five-star celebrity! Next step?

Grab some of the bun here.

So, what we have here is Dusseldorf-style German mustard.

Three ingredients... mustard seeds, vinegar, and salt.

Then we're gonna go German potato salad.

...potatoes, a little chicken stock, bacon,

salt, pepper, little bit of parsley and vinegar.

W-What are we doing last?

German-style sauerkraut.

Just cabbage, fermented sauerkraut.

- Yeah. - Okay?

Ham stock, a little onion, bay leaf, caraway seeds,

and a dash of apple cider.

Martin, are we done?

We're done.

- What?! - Look at this bad boy here.

[ Cappe gasps ]

♪♪

Ooh, yeah. That's a beauty.

We can easily get distracted by that delicious

German potato salad, the German sauerkraut,

and the grainy mustard.

I mean, all excellent, all delicious,

but they're supporting actors to the star of the show,

and that's that sausage.

The flavor, the smokiness,

the snap and crack

of that beautiful crusted exterior casing.

It just holds and locks in

nothing but delicious juice and sausage-y flavor.

Makes you a better yodeler, too.

It's that... Let me...

Yodel-lay-ee-hoo!

See? It's already getting up there.

- It works. - It works!

♪♪

You should see if the elves will make this.

You've got your German potato salad,

you've got your sauerkraut, you got your mustard,

and there's seeds in there.

- In the brat! - In the brat!

About a hundred different flavors going on all at once.

It's just phenomenal.

♪♪

CAPPE: Katie was living in Germany

when she fell in love with local pretzels.

Luckily for us, she brought home the technique.

Now she's ready to embrace the holiday spirit

with a tasty edible wreath.

It's the Christmas Wreatzel.

-Did you... -Ooh! Wow!

- Look at that! - It's a Christmas wreath!

- It's a full-blown wreath! - It's huge!

Ho, ho, holy moly! Are you excited?

These wreatzels. Yep.

I mean, this is magical.

- They are very delicious. - Oh, I knew it.

We're gonna make this thing from scratch.

Yeah.

CAPPE: It all starts with Katie's secret-recipe dough,

portioned just right, which goes through the molding machine

to give us our pretzel strings.

Now it's time to get hands-on.

So, we're gonna roll these out,

and you're gonna start braiding it,

so you're gonna put the right over

and then the left until you get all the way down.

There you go. What we're gonna do

is we're gonna make it into a circle.

CAPPE: We put a bow on it, and our wreaths are ready

for their sodium-hydroxide bath.

The solution that the pretzels

are gonna go through right now,

it gives the pretzel the dark color on the outside,

but it also gives the pretzel that tangy pretzel flavor.

- [ Laughs ] - You can salt it to your liking.

In the words of a Food Network guru, bam!

We're ready to move on to the next stage.

CAPPE: Our prepped and salted wreatzels

go into the huge factory oven where they rotate

at a high, then low temperature

for that perfect color, texture, and consistency.

These are the Christmas wreatzels.

We hit it with a mystery dipping sauce.

Yeah. It's a cranberry mustard.

A classic pretzel dip and mustard,

but with a little tip of the cap

for the holidays in that cranberry.

If you're doing a festive wreath,

you have to have a festive dip with it.

I've never eaten a wreath before. I didn't know that.

[ Laughs ]

♪♪

- And...? - I mean, yep.

There is a sweetness that you get in that cranberry mustard

that brings this beautiful kind of play

of sweet, salty, and the savory.

We hit all the classic elements you want in a good pretzel.

That beautiful, brown, crispy kind of toasted outside,

but at the same time, it is light, fluffy, and puffy.

Even though we quadrupled the size of a standard pretzel,

we've still executed the gold.

♪♪

Mmm! My gosh! Perfectly cooked.

It's super-soft. Yeah!

- It's got a bow and everything. - It's got a bow!

It's crunchy on the outside, salty,

pillow-soft on the inside.

I mean, and just to prove it, you're gonna eat more.

I am.

Look at that cheese!

You got a hot little Belgian boot!

Aaaaaaah!

[ All cheering ]

Welcome back to Christkindlmarket, Milwaukee.

Now, folks in the Midwest love bread, cheese,

and every combo of the two...

which means I'm home, sweet home!

Samantha and her family are spreading joy

with this delicious eruption of flavor.

Hot and fresh raclette cheese

covers every gooey bite of this Swiss lava sandwich.

Have you ever had raclette cheese,

that melty, delicious goodness?

- No, I haven't. - [ Gasps ]

You've watched it, you've seen it...

That cheese getting scraped off the wheel onto a sandwich,

And all you think is,

why can't that be my face on the end of it?

Very hot item right now.

I could not understand it more.

Now, raclette. Talk to me about this cheese. What is it?

It's, like, a smoother cheese.

It has, like, a nutty, fruity taste.

A lot of people, they ask what it compares to,

and we say kind of... Like, it's an Alpine Swiss.

Yeah. We've got how many pounds of cheese here?

We're gonna cut the whole 12 pound of cheese into a half.

No. Way.

And then heat it underneath the warmer.

While this cheese starts to melt, where are we going?

What's our next step?

We have to grab a baguette and then cut it in half.

Cut, prepped, ready to go. What are we doing now?

Now we're gonna add our cured ham onto the sandwich.

You're looking at that wheel, please.

CAPPE: Ohh!

And that all goes onto the sandwich.

Twice?!

Yep. Twice. Look at that cheese!

I mean, it's my wildest dreams come true.

We're putting on some Dijon mustard

and then some baby gherkins.

Oh, my goodness.

Adds a little more of a crunchy taste that people love.

Right. And now we're gonna add on some green onions.

- Of course we are. Are we done? - We are not done.

We're getting to the best part of the sandwich.

- Where I eat it? - Not yet.

Are you gonna hit this thing again?

Yes, we are. You have to get cheese in every bite.

That's a big finish!

♪♪

[ Crunching ]

The fresh baguette couldn't be a better call.

The gherkins... Unexpectedly wonderful.

Dijon mustard is perfect.

It adds a little element of creaminess

and a pop of additional flavor. The crunch of the onion.

The meat adds a little bit of saltiness

and a beautiful punch of something different.

But the focus on this thing is the raclette. It's that cheese.

It is so subtle, so perfect, so creamy,

stretchy, stringy, and delicious.

The cheese and bread, that's what Milwaukee's all about.

That's what this body was built on!

♪♪

Ohh! You might've got a bit of wrapper!

I mean, you went for it.

Why haven't I eaten this cheese before?

Right?!

The raclette.

It's a hard word to say but an easy cheese to eat.

I tell you, it's very good.

That is a lot of cheese. It is so good.

♪♪

CAPPE: Bob is a chocolate aficionado,

and he's imported Belgium's best,

melted it down, and added

fresh homemade whipped cream and chocolate shavings.

You're sure to get a kick out of this hot Belgian boot.

You got a hot little Belgium boot full of chocolate and milk.

I am so stoked.

We've got hot chocolate, but not just hot chocolate...

Hot Belgian chocolate.

- This is what I like to drink. - Yeah.

And so I give it to everybody else.

My hands are telling me one thing...

They're ready for some hot chocolate.

It's cold. All right. I'll fire it up.

- I'm ready to go. - The cream already in the pot.

I'm gonna add some whole milk.

This whole gallon goes in.

Cream and milk in the pot.

Next, it's the famous Belgian chocolate,

known for its high cocoa content and bold, earthy flavor.

- And it's melting nicely. - It is melting quickly.

- Let's do the sugar. - That sounds wonderful.

Let's get some sea salt.

Ahh! Just when you thought it couldn't get any better.

And last but not least, vanilla extract.

- There it is. - And it's coming along nicely.

CAPPE: While the hot chocolate heats up,

we make the fresh whipped cream

using 40% cream

and adding sugar and vanilla extract.

That is some of the thickest whipped cream I've ever seen.

Today, spoon licking allowed.

♪♪

I love my job. But where are we going next, Bob?

All right, well, we got the hot chocolate in the urn.

We've got the Christkindlmarket mug, the famous boot.

- To the rim? - To the rim.

And we got whipped cream.

- Oh, wow. - A little shaver.

A little more of that delicious Belgian chocolate.

You got it. And there we go.

- This is exciting. - Enjoy.

♪♪

I mean, that's it right there.

The shavings of the Belgian chocolate on top.

I mean, it is chocolatey, but it isn't

over-the-top fake chocolate flavor.

It is so real, authentic.

The cream and milk combination gives it a nice thickness.

The fresh whipped cream has now dropped into that little booty

and is creating even more creamy deliciousness.

This truly is the perfect cup of hot chocolate.

♪♪

Homemade whipped cream. Is that hurting it?

- It's awesome. - That's amazing.

- It's so creamy and rich. - I give this an 11 for sure.

- A size 11? - I wish.

[ Laughs ]

We're putting nacho chips on the burger.

Eight slices of heaven.

CAPPE: Drop-kick delicious.

Aaaaaaah!

♪♪

Welcome back to "Carnival Eats."

We're in Brownsville, Texas,

getting ready for the Charro Days Fiesta!

This week-long event celebrates the friendship and food

that are shared across the border with rides,

parades, and some of the best Tex-Mex carnival eats around.

Brandon's an artist who's done painting and sculpture.

His latest masterpiece,

built with a beef burger and nachos,

is one to behold.

It's Nacho Mama's Burger.

Show that to everybody at home for a second.

That's a little piece of art!

We're hanging out with Brandon.

We have got... I mean, it was only a matter of time

until these two delicious elements came together.

We're gonna make it up, and you're gonna eat it.

What a day. What a game plan.

Where do we start? What are we looking at?

- Ground beef. - Mm-hmm.

Third of a pound. 80/20.

- Ohh. There it goes. - Seasoning salt.

- Why not? - Got jalapeños.

And I'm gonna put some onions on there, too. All right?

Jalapeños, onions. So far, two classic nacho toppings.

And you could argue burger, as well.

And then we're gonna toast the bun.

Bun goes on.

And we're just gonna wait until it's all ready.

Oh, man, it smells good.

I'm gonna get the toasty bun off.

I'm gonna put some homemade guac.

What's in there?

There's cilantro, tomatoes, onions.

Avocado?

Avocado. It's the main ingredient.

[ Chuckles ]

Then we're gonna take the meat patty.

- What's next? - Chips.

We're putting nacho chips on the burger.

Yes. You can't have a nacho burger without the cheese.

Somebody tried it once, and they exploded.

We're gonna get some cilantro, the onions,

and then we're gonna get these jalapeños over here.

Then you top it.

Gonna wrap it up, and you're gonna enjoy

your Nacho Mama Burger.

♪♪

It's good?

- Oh, heck yeah. - I knew it would be.

You're getting the full experience

of a traditional order of nachos,

but also at the same time, a burger.

It's a beautiful patty, toasted bun. Brilliant.

Then you add in that smooth, creamy guacamole,

the crunch and the salty kind of snap of those nacho chips,

the impact of those jalapeños and even the onions.

Those flavors work on a burger.

Also now the heat's starting to hit me.

♪♪

Oh, my God.

On the spice scale, tell me where to stop.

Where are we sitting? Right there.

That's what we call the sweet spot!

It's amazing.

Is it more nachos, is it more burger, is it both?

It's both.

You taste the nachos, the meat's in there. It's delicious.

♪♪

Brian is a Midway pizza master,

and you're about to see why.

He's taken your favorite hot-dog combo,

ditched the bun, and created

the Chili Cheese Dog Pizza.

It's definitely not like your regular pizza.

Oh, it's definitely not like your regular pizza.

Who came up with this idea 20 years ago,

and how has it stayed on the menu for this long?

I came up with it.

I thought it might be a good novelty,

so we put it on the menu, tried it out, and it was a hit.

The response has always been consistent?

- Exactly. - Drop-kick delicious.

Awesome.

My man, as always, your pizzas start

with a beautiful in-house dough.

They do. We just flatten it out.

Garlic-infused dough?

Yes, it is.

Just get that on the screen.

We're going chili as our base instead of a tomato sauce.

- Chili instead of tomato. - What's in there?

- Top secret. - Right. You can't tell me.

Gotta have the mozzarella to keep it true to pizza.

Now we've got some all-beef kosher hot dog we're using.

Then a little bit of onion.

- We've got all the classics. - All of it.

And some cheddar cheese to top it off a little bit.

It's ready to go in the oven.

Do it for about five minutes at 500 degrees.

It comes out, it's heaven on a crust.

It's a thing of beauty, isn't it?

[ Gasps ] Wow!

Hitting this thing like a chili cheese dog

with the classic ketchup-mustard combination!

You got it.

Ohh! Oh, come on.

♪♪

Go for it.

Mmm!

Now that I've bitten into this

and I know it's delicious and that I love it,

I got to tell you, when that ketchup and mustard

first hit it, there was a little part of me

that was like, "Is this too much?"

But it isn't.

Onion on a pizza. Didn't see it coming, but it works.

Those hot-dog pieces, they're bubbling

and crisping up around the edge.

That beautiful in-house chili base.

It's that hint, that pop of that tomato kind of flavor

that takes these two sides and makes them work together.

♪♪

Do you have ketchup on the front of your nose?!

- I do. - That's a big-time bite!

That is awesome.

- Oh, my God. Wow. - Wha...

Sausage is great. Onions to get that nice crisp to that bite.

- Yeah! - Perfect. It's perfect.

Deep-fried peanut butter and jam sandwich!

[ Chuckles ] Oh, man!

Aaaaaaah!

♪♪

Now, my favorite carnival eats combine food and fun,

and this next one, it does it just right.

Phil isn't afraid to try and improve

an old-school classic,

encasing a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in batter

and covering it in fresh peanuts and strawberry sauce.

It's the Lunchbox Special.

Growing up, did you used to get a peanut butter

and jam sandwich in your lunch box?

- All the time. - The best!

You've had a peanut butter and jam?

I have, yes. Not a fried one.

I feel like all deep-fried roads, Phil,

have been pointing to this and leading to this moment.

I'm excited. We fry everything.

We experiment with all kinds of stuff.

Our son last year, two years old at the time,

said he loves peanut butter and jelly.

So we said, "Why not? Let's do this."

Here we go, Phil. What are we doing? What's the first step?

We're gonna start with some dry batter.

It's a secret recipe. We can't reveal all that to you.

You get the dry batter in, then we're gonna put

some wet batter in, then we're gonna mix it up.

You want it thick, but not too thick.

We've got a perfect batter.

We've also got a crustless PB and J.

This is in the building. This is in my hand.

I'm not eating this right now,

and that is taking every fiber in my body.

You ready to make it happen? Put it in the batter.

In it goes!

- Get the batter all around it. - Right.

Dip it in the peanuts.

This is gonna add a little bit of crunch.

There you go. Gives it the pizzazz.

Putting it right in the fryer.

I mean, that thing is just getting more golden,

more crispy, more delicious.

Yes, sir. There you go.

Yep. Uh, what do we have to do here to get this to this?

We're gonna put some strawberry goodness on top of there.

And that's a strawberry sauce?

Yes, sir. Here you go. I'm just gonna get out

of the way so I don't get any on me.

[ Chuckles ] Oh, man!

♪♪

Yeah.

You manage to make the PB-and-J experience happen twice.

Inside of this thing

is now all the melted peanut butter and strawberry.

And on the outside, you've got

the crunchy peanut and strawberry sauce.

This is just a jacked-up, better version of a classic.

♪♪

You can feel the soft bread, the warm peanut butter,

the jelly, but you get that crunch on the outside.

It's a whole explosion.

So good. Oh, my gosh.

It's just extra, and I love it.

Put it up top for PB and J! Hand! Yeah!

♪♪

CAPPE: From that Christmas Wreatzel

to the Swiss lava sandwich...

and the Chili Cheese Dog Pizza

to that Lunchbox Special...

Ah, ho! Time to say adios!

We'll see you next time on "Carnival Eats"!